President sacks State Minister Susil Premajayantha

According to powers vested with him, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has removed State Minister Susil Premajayantha from his state ministerial post.

President's Spokesman Kingsley Rathnayaka confirmed over Twitter that Mr Premajayantha had been sacked. 

Mr Premajayantha was the State Minister of Education Reforms, Open Universities and Distance Learning Promotion.

The Colombo District Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP had made several highly critical remarks against the conduct of the Government in recent months, both within and outside Parliament. 

His most recent critical remarks to the media were made at the Delkanda Market, where he lashed out at the Government over the high prices of goods and the fertiliser crisis. Mr Premajayantha said those who took decisions that precipitated the fertiliser crisis must take responsibility for their actions. 

He added that Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had "failed" in his duties and that the country's agriculture sector had not suffered such a calamity even during times of foreign invasion. 

Mr Premajayantha further noted that he was among those who had been sidelined within the Government, adding that they were not in a position to take decisions. "We are on the bench as reserves," he quipped. 

The MP remarked that it was now too late for the Government to change course and that a different group was needed to take decisions to put the situation right.